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Vermont Fish & Wildlife Recommends Turkey Hunting Safety Tips

Vermont’s youth turkey hunting weekend is April 27-28, and the regular spring season is May 1-31. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department points out that while spring turkey hunting-related shootings are rare (last year’s season was incident-free) precautions are needed.

Camouflage or drab colored clothing is almost mandatory to outwit a keen sighted gobbler. Unfortunately, camouflage has the same affect on other hunters as it has on the turkeys.

“With a handful of exceptions, all of our incidents have been caused by hunters who don’t positively identify the target before they pull the trigger,” said Chris Saunders, Hunter Education Coordinator. “And the victim is usually another hunter, often a friend, trying to stalk a turkey call.”

With the opening of spring turkey hunting season near, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department urges hunters to review the following safety tips:

• Never stalk a gobbling turkey. Your chances of getting close are poor, and you may be sneaking up on another hunter.

• Don’t be patriotic. Avoid red, white and blue… and black too. A tom turkey’s head has similar colors.

• Always sit with your back against a tree trunk, big log or a boulder that is wider than your body. This protects you from being accidentally struck by pellets fired from behind you.

• Place decoys on the far side of a tree trunk or a rock. This prevents you from being directly in the line of fire should another hunter mistakenly shoot at your decoy.

• Never shoot unless you’re absolutely sure of your target. Since only turkeys with beards are legal during the spring season, lack of positive identification could result in shooting an illegal bird, or worse, another hunter.

• Consider wearing hunter orange while moving from set-up to set-up. Take it off when you are in position.

Source: Department of Fish and Wildlife
Last Updated at: April 10, 2013 07:26:49